Where do you turn when all of your creams, cleansers, oils, masks, and exfoliators just can’t do the trick? Ingest your beauty products. Relax, we’re talking about supplements.
There are many large numbers associated with the beauty industry. Citing reports in the millions and the billions, companies are all dipping their well-pedicured toes into this pool of gold. But while some products may be gimmicky and fueled by social media likes, cleaner beauty has taken on a pared-back approach to its offerings. From well-known Glossier to breakout brand The Ordinary, “back to basics” seems to be the key takeaway for these booming favorites.
Stripped of harsh chemicals and backed by science, these products walk the fine line between a cosmetic and a pharmaceutical product. Topical beauty products are known in the industry as cosmeceuticals, and claim to contain clinically proven active ingredients to treat most skincare concerns.
As consumer consciousness has increased, the cosmeceutical market has followed suit. Valued at a whooping $46.93 billion in 2017, this market is expected to reach $80.36 billion by 2023. While cosmeceuticals are categorized as topical treatments, science-backed beauty products have continued to gain fast momentum; a natural and holistic approach to beauty has become synonymous with personal care regimes.
Moving beyond coconut water, kombucha and açai bowls, “beauty from the inside out” takes new meaning as supplements have knocked these short-lived hypes out of the park. Nutritional deficiencies often show up in your physical appearance as a warning sign—white spots on nails, brittle hair, and breakouts to dehydrated skin—so a healthy body is directly correlated with beauty.
From Flintstones chewables to One-A-Day pills, new wave vitamins are curated for beauty specific needs. These popular beauty in a bottle cocktails are stocked at all of our favorite shopping locales, from Selfridges, Net-a-Porter and CultBeauty. They contain a mix of ingredients that includes standard vitamins B, C, and D, mixed with new additions of skin and hair specific components—probiotics, marine collagen, biotin etc. While it may not provide the instant gratification of a topical beauty product, supplements have been professed to create long-term change.
Thinking of trying some beauty supplements? Here’s the low-down on what’s what in cosmeceuticals.
The Beauty Chef Inner Beauty Boost
Dubbed as a “potent probiotic elixir,” The Beauty Chef’s Inner Beauty Boost contains a cocktail of superfoods such as blueberries, goji berries, pomegranates and papayas along with zinc and acai powder. It’s known to help boost the digestive system, restore gut health and plump up sallow-looking skin. Mix with water and consume once daily.
Renowned aesthetic doctor, Dr. Barbara Sturm’s name went viral after a video of Kim Kardashian showed a video of herself using blood plasma-infused treatment. Specialising in non-surgical treatments, Dr. Sturm created an eponymous skin care range that made use of these groudbreaking formulas. One of her hero products, purslane, which is rich in antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids, is the key ingredient in Skin Food. Promoting anti-ageing, this supplement fights inflammation and provides moisturizing properties to repair the skin.
Fountain, founded by parent brand Deciem, which owns The Ordinary, are known for their liquid supplements. Winner of the Cosmpolitan Beauty Awards in 2014, The Glow Molecule is one of the Fountain’s standout products among many. With hyaluronic acid and a concentrate of high-strength glutathione complex, these two key ingredients are lauded for bringing out a youthful glow to your skin.
The Organic Pharmacy Skin Radiance
This dietary supplement is youthful skin in a bottle. With vitamin C, E and other skin boosting ingredients, this potent cocktail promotes tissue repair, circulation to increase collagen levels in the skin.
The Nue Co. Skin Food + Prebiotic
High in protein and antioxidants, two dietary needs to combat premature signs of aging, this powder-based supplement can be mixed into water or with your favorite smoothie. Charged with beta-carotene, that not only recharges skin cells but is great for good eye health and vision, this cell-renewing formula also promotes friendly bacteria in your gut. All in all, it’s a great product to rebalance your diet for that ‘beauty from the inside’ glow.
